Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1887-04-14
UNCONSCIOUS EGOTlSM.
THEART OF PouTeNgss-wHArIrls, IT IS,
A Brief Story in Good Manners, With
Reaeetions Valuable to all Glasses.

Renections Valuable to all Glasses
Philadelphia Record: In this bust
ling and practical age we are too apt to
be careless as to graces of manner and
conversation. We look back OCCASION
ally on the days of Pericles, when the
Athenians talked In high-sounding
phrases and saluted each other with the
Difference which subjects only give to
kings, or on the days of the ancient
regime, when the courtiers of a Louis
were conspicuous for a conventional
politeness and grace that scarcely
served to conceal the hatred, the venom.
tne meanness and vulgarity that lay
beneath. And, therefore, associating
politenesseither with state of society
where there is but little freedom of
thought speech or action, and where
the social fabric is built up Of classes
who are divided by laws of caste, or
else with sleepy oriental countries
where men lead the life of lotus-eaters,
and rustaway in idleness, the study of
manners engages but little of our
thoughts. We tacitly admit, of course,
that the exercise of such an attribute
is all right; but our great weakness is
to look to results instead of to details.
and we are too apt to forget that those
results are brought about by the very
means which we make light of. 1t
must be admitted, however, that we
admire politeness in others. AS a
people, beneath the rough exterior
which we so often assume, we have
sympathetic and a kindly nature; we
are alive to tale of distress and are
ready to respond to the cry of suffer-
ing; but we are too careless of the little
courtesies which add such a charm to
either social or business intercourse.
Politeness may be styled one of the
delicate humanities; it sweetens exis-
tence; and besides being a high social
virtue it is-and this is something
worthy of attention in such a practical
age really useful in many ways,
and proves itself to be safe and re-
munerative, business investment.
tits hardly possible to estimate the
amount of unconscious egotism to be
found in every man and woman. 1t
crops out in the most in the most un-
expected quarters, and exercises large
influence on the common affairs of life.
Civility, therefore, affects us more than
native modesty would probably care to
acknowledge. Welook for it in others,
no matter what may be the particular
relation which they sustain to us and
we to them, and we feel disappointed
and are ruffied by its absence. The
larger the city and the more crowded
the community the less do we find COM
mercial politeness; it seems to dwindle
away In an inverse ratio to the square
of business. Men will tell you, If they
ever stop to discuss the matter, that
they have no time to bestow on hollow
phrases and superluous convention
alities, and that there is no place in
the counting room, the store, the ware
house, or the factory for the meaning
less and steorotyped genufections Of
the court or drawing room. This may
be true, but there is sample room and
verge enough " for the happy medium
of which Horace sings without trans
forming ourselves into Doors or Turvey-
drops. We smile when witnessing
"Pinafore at the absurd suggestion of
Sir Joseph Porter that the captain of
that ship will say " if you please +" to his
men when giving any command. And
yet, after all there is sound principle
underlying this piece of burlesque The
man who is kind and gracious to those
who FOR the time being are under him
will certainly have his reward. Every
reader of Dickens can remember the
despairing cry of Joe, the street waif,
in" Bleak House y" He wor real good
to me, he wor." This portion of the
scum of seething city, with scarcely
glimmering instinct or an idea as to
right or wrong, was touched by kind
ness and BY gentleness. He could not
understand it; he did not comprehend
| its significance or meaning; but it was
something different from what he had
ever met with or known, and so in his
blind and ignorant cropping he came
upon the truth as to
| That best portion Of god mans life, !.
His title. nameess. unremembered acts
OF kindness and OF love. h
Men will argue sometimes that they
have no time to be polite, forgetting
that it takes the same amount Of time
to be uncivil and disagreeable. There
are more things needed to insure sue
cess than money, experience and integ-
rity. The amenities which some de-
spise 80 much are also potent factors;
and even if you can point out man
who is rude, and churlish and yet sue
cessful in life that is no argument
against the truth Of the theory; it
simply shows that he has succeeded in
spite of the want of politeness. If,
therefore, civility be such large and
potential ingredient of success, 1t is
strange that it shonld be used so spar
ingly. Itcosts nothing, 1t required no
room for storage, and can, in fact, be
carried in the vest pocket or put in 0
glove box, and the more of 1t that is
given the more remains. When people
can be made to understand that the
use of it may bring dollars and cents
then they may also begin to consider
IL In its moral aanact and maka lift